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Canada faces a shortage of 357,000 workers for the supply chain sector - at least 50,000 job openings in supply chain in Alberta alone - between now and 2020, according to recent reports that also call for more women to be part of the solution.

Right now, women are underrepresented in all of the main job categories within supply chain - a sector often seen as only encouraging men to pursue these careers.

Not any more, if Linda Lucas has anything to do with it.

While recently working with the Calgary-based Van Horne Institute, she set up a website called Women in Supply Chain (www.womeninsupplychain.org) to help encourage more women to consider the vast array of careers available to them.

Already, more women are starting to pursue supply chain education, a trend she hopes will continue.

"In Alberta, we already have a shortage of people in six of the 10 (occupations) and that situation continues on," says Lucas. "The main reality is that we have two pressures in Alberta: one is the demographics shift - people leaving the workforce - and the other relates to growth."

The Van Horne Institute has also planned or recently held several conferences to raise the alarm about the shortage of workers forecast for the supply chain sector, a move the institute's president, Peter Wallis, says needs to be part of a much more widespread effort to address the issue.

"Part of the concept here is to have this initiative last longer than just five events," says Wallis.

By trying to boost the number of women entering the workforce, Lucas hopes the issue will gain more traction among employers with respect to increasing the number of women they hire and promote into supply chain careers.

"With that understanding, and a chronic lack of understanding and appreciation of supply chain and the kinds of career opportunities that there are, we've launched on a number of initiatives," says Lucas.

In 2012, men made up the majority of the workforce, with women holding about 39 per cent of jobs in the sector. The demand for workers is growing at an annual rate of 1.7 per cent. Several employers have already jumped aboard the call to action.

Lucas is also working with national, regional and local groups, such as the Calgary Logistics Council and the Canadian Supply Chain sector council, to help promote the cause of getting more women into supply chain careers.

As more women enter into supply chain management degrees and careers, it's seen as one solution to filling the hundreds of thousands of job openings over the next decade.

"We're really looking for role models in all of this," Lucas says. "There are so many career opportunities, so it's about not limiting oneself."

She challenges employers to "really put the female lens" on the issue and not to make the traditional assumption that supply chain and logistics careers are only for men.

She's also working to bring forth all education partners to illustrate how to build the skills and knowledge on an ongoing basis to further women's - and men's - careers in the field.

From 2012-17, it is expected that the number of supply chain employees will increase by 8.4 per cent for tactical occupations and 14.9 per cent for managerial occupations, according to the Canadian Supply Chain Council's recent human resources study. As of 2010, there were 767,200 Canadians employed in some aspect of supply chain occupations.

Among the areas of highest job openings in the sector are positions in management, purchasing, customs, shipping and brokerage, information systems analysis and long-haul truck drivers.

For women considering a career in the supply chain, plenty of resources and educational information is available through websites like Women in Supply Chain and others.

"What we want to do is create a change of attitude, of appreciation and of opportunity to showcase women who are in these roles," says Lucas.

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